Jain Journal 1997 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 16

SOMĀNI : JAINS UNDER THE RĀȘTRAKŪTAS OF DECCAN
83 Virasena and Jinasena. The name of " Vardhamana-Purāna", an important epic, is also montioned, but no MS. of it is now available. It remained a much popular work. If we take the dates of Dhavalā and Jayadhavalā as of Vikram-Era, the probable dates of the compositio would be 780 A.D. At that time even Dhruva Nirupama had not come into power before 782 A.D. The Harivamsa-Purana has also quoted Virasenācārya, but no work of Dhavalāwas referred. He seemed to be some other Pandit or the above work was completed at a later date. Jinasenācārya completed the Jayadhavalā in Śaka-Era 759 (-837AD), during the reign of Amoghavarşa I.
Govindarāja III had invaded the northern India. His copper plates and inscriptions metion it. He passed through Gujarāt and captured some part of it over to his brother Indrarāja. He then proceeded towards Chittor and captured Hatundi(Godawār), where also a Rāthor state was established. At Chittor, he captured the place and handed it over to Dharani-Varāha Maurya or his predecessor. 12 He also captured Dhanop (Bhilwārā), where also a Rāstrakūta kingdom was founded. It seems that Govindaraja III could not proceed beyond Puşkar and was humbled to move towards the south. He captured Mālawā compelling its ruler to owe his allegiance to him.
Puşpadanta was a good poet of Prākrit and Apabhramśa. His Mahāpurāņa is very famous. He was contemporary to Krsnarāja III who came to the throne in 939 AD had ruled up to 967 AD. He was succeeded by his brother Khottigadeva in 967 AD. During the latter's region Mānyakheţa was badly plundered in 972 AD by the Parmārs of Mālawā. Bharat was the minister of Krsnarāja III. He was the patron of Puspadanta also. He belonged to the family of Kandella gotra. He belonged to a rich family and enjoyed the post of state minister. But later he had become poor. Puspadanta was from a Brāhmin family. He was a very poor man having no house and property. Perhaps, he was not married. Formenly he was in the services of Virarāja or Bhairava and composed some poems also there. But instead of granting good rewards, he was badly insulted. He came to Mānyakheta and met Bharata, the minister of Krsnarāja. On the later's request he completed Mahāpurāņa. It is a good work dealing with the political socio-economic and other details. 13 His another work is the Yasodharcarita, which contains many details, as to how the Mānyakheta was badly plundered by the Paramārs of Mālawā and the entire kingdom faced great hardships. The corpses, bones and other parts of the bodies of humans were scattering. The colophon of the above work says that in such a 12. History of Mewar by the Author pp. 47. 13. Puspadantas Mahāpurāna (Bharatiya'jñānapitha edition) Introduction.